Multiple column vending machine



A ril 23, 1968 M. w. NEWBERRY 3,379,342

MULTIPLE COLUMN VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 FlG.l.

WITNESSES INVENTOR W Meig's W. Newberry.

M gv ATTORNEY M. W. NEWBERRY April 23, 1968 MULTIPLE COLUMN VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 -IYUI Filed Feb. 13, 1967 April 23, 1968 w NEWBERRY 3,379,342

MULTIPLE COLUMN VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 13, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.3.

MULTIPLE COLUMN VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 15, 1967 P 8 M. w. NEWBERRY 3,379,342

MULTIPLE COLUMN VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1967 e Sheets-Sheet 5 April 23, 1968 M. w. NEWBERRY MULTIPLE COLUMN VENDING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 13, 1967 FIG.9.

3,379,342 MULTIPLE COLUMN VENDELNG MACHINE Meigs W. Newberry, East Longrneadow, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 13, 1967, Eer. No. 615,516 6 Claims. (Ci. 221-129) ABSTRACT (3F THE DISCLOSURE A plurality of respective selection control members for the respective gate controlled dispensing mechanisms of a plurality of side-by-side storage columns are selectively and individually actuated to an operated position at the beginning of a vend cycle and a single return mechanism is operable to return any operated one of the selection control mechanisms from the operated position before the end of a vend cycle.

Cross references to related applications This invention is related to the basic vending mechanism shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 434,512, now Patent No. 3,337,088, entitled, Mechanism for Operating Corded Stack Vending Machines, and filed Feb. 23, 1965, in the name of Meigs W. Newberry and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. Although the aforementioned copending U.S. patent application relates to a so-called corded stacked vending machine it should be understood that the mechanism of the present invention including the single return member may be used with any multiple vertical column vending machine and is not limited to a cord-ed stack column type of vending machine. An electrical control circuit which may be used in connection with the mechanism of the subject invention is described in the U.S. patent to Kalista, 3,209,946, issued Oct. 5, 1965, and assigned to the same assignee as the present patent application.

Background of the invention The invention relates to dispensing mechanisms generally classifiable by the U.Sv Patent Office classification in class 221, Article Dispensing, subclass 92, plural sources, stacks or compartments. The most pertinent patented prior art known to applicant is believed to be shown by the U.S. Patent 3,209,945 in the name of F. A. Gasparini, issued Oct. 5, 1965, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. Also the aforementioned copending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 434,512, to which the subject invention may be considered an improvement, is prior art.

Summary In accordance with the invention, there is disclosed a vertical storage multiple column vending machine having respective individual gate controlled dispensing mechanisms at the lower end of each side-by-side positioned column to be selectively operated for a vending operation or cycle thereby determining from which column the desired merchandise is to be vend-ed. A respective selecting and control member for each dispensing mechanism is provided in aligned positions with each other across the width of the side-by-side positioned vertical columns to be selectively moved from a normal position to an operated position thus enabling the associated dispensing mechanism to be operated during a vending operation and thus determining the selection of a particular column of articles for vending. Individually operated respective power means, such as a solenoid, is provided and associated with each control member to move the control member from the normal position to the operated position at the States Patent beginning of the vending operation, and a particular feature of the present invention is the additional provision of a single return member bridging the aligned positions of each control member and associated therewith in such a manner as to return any operated one of the control members to its normal position before the completion of a vending operation. The vending machine provides for a common operating means that is moved during each vending operation and a respective one of the dispensing mechanisms is connected thereto for operation therewith during a vending cycle whenever its associated control member has been moved to the operated position at the beginning of the vend cycle. A feature of the present invention is the provision of an interconnection between the common operating means and the single return member such that the single return member is moved by the movement of the common operating member to return any operated one of the control members to its normal position before the end of the vend cycle.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective elevational view of the magazine structure for a vertical storage multiple column vending machine with the control mechanism of the invention adjacent the vending gate mechanism at the lower end of the magazine;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a lower portion of the dispensing gate mechanisms including some of the operating plates for the vending gates, a movable common operating member, a movable control member and a solenoid operating the control member, and also showing a portion of the single return member for returning the control member to the normal position;

FIG. 3 shows one form of article releasing mechanism or gate as devised for use with a corded stack column of articles to be vended;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a portion of two column corded stack magazine with two control members in aligned positions with each other together with a single return member for returning any operated one of the two control members;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the left hand control member in the operated position for allowing the gate operating mechanism for column 13 to be coupled to the movable common operating member;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the single return member in the returned position as operated by the common operating member before the end of a vend cycle with the previously operated control member from the left hand column returned to its normal position by the movement of the single return member;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the single return member and two control members as seen from above;

FIG. 8 is a section of a line 8 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 9 is an end view taken to the left of FIG. 4 of the drawings.

Description of the preferred embodiment of the invention Referring first to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the general arrangement of a typical corded stack vending machine magazine for which the invention may be used will be described. Although the vending machine as shown is comprised of only two side-by-side vertical storage columns, it will be readily apparent that the invention may be applied to a vending machine magazine having any plural number of vertical side-by-side storage columns. Also the invention is shown as it may be applied to a socalled corded stack magazine structure but again it will be readily apparent that the control mechanism arrangement of the invention may be applied to any type of multiple vertical storage column magazine structure whether the articles are stored in each column in a corded stack or a single vertical stack. Generally speaking the magazine structure includes the end walls and 11 and an intermediate vertical spacing partition 12 to form the respective storage compartments 13 and 14, each having a width sufficient to accommodate a plurality of articles such as bottles or cans 15-19 in a corded stack arrangement. Extending across the lower front end of the magazine is a channel member upon which are mounted the movable selecting and control elements of the vending mechanism to be described in more detail. For example, the movable channel 21 is supported by the end plates 22 and 23 respectively which are vertically movable in slots of the fixed channel member 20. As more clearly shown by FIGS. 2 and 8 of the drawings, the movable channel member 21 which may also be termed a common operating member is vertically reciprocable when the reciprocable end plates 22 and 23 are moved by the operating link 24, bell crank 25, and electric motor shaft 26 upon each vending cycle. It should be understood that the electric motor shaft 26 revolves one revolution for each cycle and is controlled by a control circuit not shown to which the cycle switch 27 is connected in an obvious manner. As previously mentioned a typical electrical control circuit that may be used for a vending machine of this type is described in the US. patent to Kalista, 2,209,946.

In addition to the movable common operating channel member 21 a plurality of individually reciprocable lifter plates 31-34 are supported by the fixed channel 20 for vertical movement. Each of the lifter plates 31-34 when vertically reciprocated will operate a releasing bar or gate to release a corresponding one of the bottles or cans that may be contained in the vertical storage columns. Stated another way a reciprocal movement of the lifter plate 31 would release a bottle in the left hand side of the corded stack in column 13 provided that the bottle at that time is the lowermost article to be vended. Similarly, a reciprocal movement of the lifter plate 32 would move the release bar or gate to release the lowermost article in the right hand stack of the corded stack of articles in the column 13. In a similar manner also the lifter plates 33 and 34, when individually reciprocated, control the release of corded stack articles in the column 14 from the respective stacks left or right as the case may be.

In order to alternately couple a lifter plate such as the lifter plate 31 and litter plate 32 to the common operating member 21 for movement therewith in the correct sequence to correspond with the lowermost article of the corded stack articles in a given column of articles, an alternator coupling mechanism including the pivotal plates 41, 42 for column 13 and 43 and 44 for column 14 is provided. The operation of the alternator coupling mechanism including the pairs of plates 41-44 is more completely described in the previously mentioned copending patent application Ser. No. 434,512 and will not be described in detail herein except insofar as necessary for an understanding of the present invention. However, still referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that so long as any of the pivotal coupling plates 41-44 are in the positions shown, the vertical reciprocal movement of the common operating member 21 would not result in any vertical movement of any of the lifter plates 31-34. As shown by FIG. 1 each of the pivotal coupling plates 41-44 is maintained in the uncoupled position by the normal positions of the selection and control members 51 and 52 which are slidably supported in aligned positions with each other on the fixed channel member 20 across the width of the storage columns. With either control member 51 or 52 in the normal position shown, the respective projections 51a or 52a are in supporting position for either of the lowermost pins 41a, 42a or 43a and 44a of the respective coupling members 41-44. However, should either one of the control member 51 or 52 be moved to the right from their normal positions shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings, then the respective coupling member 41, 42 or 43, 44, whichever one is lowermost with its respective pin 41a, 42a or 43a, 44a supported by the projection 51a will pivot in a direction to move the lowermost pin downward. Thus when a corresponding one of the coupling members 41-44 is allowed to pivot in a direction to move its associated pin 41a-44a downwardly, such coupling member will have moved its corresponding coupling pin 41b-44b into a position to engage the respective hook surface Zia-21d respectively of the vertically reciprocal common operating member 21. It should be noted that each of the pivotal coupling members 41-44 is pivotally mounted at respective pivot points ild-44d to the respective lifter plates 31-34. Thus when a pivotal coupling member such as the pivotal coupling member 42 is allowed to hook to the movable common operating member 21 upon movementpf the control member 51 to the right from the normal position shown by FIG. 1 of the drawings, then the lifter plate 32 will be reciprocated upwardly with the common operating member 21 to vend the lowermost article in the right hand stack of corded stack articles in column 13. During the vend cycle as will be more fully described hereinafter, the control member 51 which had been previously moved to the right from the position shown by FIG. 1 of the drawings will be moved back to the normal position shown in response to the left hand movement of the single re-.

turn member 60 of the invention having a projection 61 engageable with the left hand control member 51 and a projection 62 engageable with the right hand control member 52.

A solenoid 70 is provided to operate and move the left hand control member 51. from the normal position shown by FIG. 1 to the right of the drawings while a similar solenoid 71 is provided to move the right hand control member 71 from the normal position shown to the right of the drawings. When either of the solenoids 78 or 71 is operated by the selection control circuit previously referred to as being described in US. Patent 3,209,946, a vend will be obtained from either the column 13 or the column 14. The movement of the associated control member 51 or 52 will corespondingly move the single return member 68 to the right of the drawing. As soon as the respective solenoid 7 6 or 71 is deenergized during a vend cycle, the return spring 72 will function to move the single return member 60 back to the left of the drawing to return whichever one of the control member 51 or 52 had been moved to the right at the beginning of the vending operation. To aid the return spring 72, the single member 60 may be provided with an inclined surface end portion 73 so that the underside thereof will be engaged by the notch surface 74 of the reciprocating end plate 23. As the reciprocating end plate 23 moves upwardly during the vend cycle to carry the common operating channel 21 upwardly, the inclined surface 73 of the single return member 60 is cammed to the left of the drawings to return any one of the previously moved control member 51 or 52 back. to the left to the normal position shown by FIG. 1 of the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings some details not clearly visible in FIG. 1 of the drawings will be apparent. For example each of the lifter plates such as lifter plates 31 and 32 is shown to have respective slots 31a and 32a engageable with respective release rollers 81 and 82 of the left and right hand stacks of the corded stack of articles in column 13. Thus, when a respective lifter plate 31, 32

is reciprocated vertically a respective one of the release rollers 81 and 82 will be moved generally horizontally.

Reference may be made to FIG. 3 of the drawings which show in further detail the arrangement for the release bars which include the previously mentioned roller elements 81 and 82 engagcable in the respective slots 31a and 32a to be mounted on the respective toggle levers 83 I and 84 carrying the supporting and release rods 85 and 86 respectively at their lower ends. It should be understood that the releasing toggles such as 83 and 84 are pivotally supported at points 87 and 88 respectively to the fixed magazine structure in a manner not shown in detail.

As more clearly shown by FIG. 3 of the drawings, when the lifter plate such as the lifter plate 34 is reciprocatcd upward, the toggle lever such as the toggle lever 99 will be rotated counterclockwise to remove the support rod 91 from supporting position beneath the lowermost article such as the bottle 92 in the left hand stack of the corded column of articles contained in column 14.

Reference may be made to FIGS. 47 of the drawings for a more detailed understanding of the operation by which a respective one of the alternator coupling members 4144 is alternately coupled selectively to the common Ope'ating member 21 during a vend cycle. FIG. 4 of the drawings shows both of the control members 51 and 52 in the normal positions such as to prevent any of the alternator coupling plates 41-44 from becoming hooked to a respective one of the hook projections 21a-21d of the vertically reciprocal common operating member 21.

FIG. 5 shows the control member 51 moved to the right of the drawing by the energization of solenoid 70 at the beginning of vend cycle to enable the alternator coupling member 42 to move counterclockwise and allow its pin 42]) to engage the hook surface 235 of the vertically reciprocal member 21 as the vertical reciprocal member 21 begins to move upwardly. Thus the movement of the vertical reciprocating common member 21 upwardly carries the alternator coupling plate 42 upwardly with it and since the plate 42 is pivotally secured at 42d to the lifter plate 32, the lifter plate 32 will accordingly be moved up wardly to operate the releasing bar for the right hand article in the corded stack of articles in the vertical column 13.

FIG. 6 of the drawings shows the lifter plate 32 in the fully raised position while it is hooked to the common 5 operatin member 21 also shown in the fully raised position. It is important to note that in FIG. 6 of the drawings the single return member of the invention has been moved to the left in the direction of the arrows to thereby return the previously moved control :member 51 back to its normal position supporting the left hand alternator coupling plate 41 in a disengaged position. It may also be clearly seen how the camming action on the inclined projection '73 of the single return member 60 aids the return spring 72 in moving the single return member 66 to the left of the drawing as the common operating member 21 is moved vertically upward.

At the completion of the vend cycle, when the common operating member 21 has again moved vertically downward to its normal position carrying with it the coupling plate 42 and the lifter plate 32, the respective pins 41a and 42a will have exchanged positions from that shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings. Therefore, the next time that the solenoid 7 is operated for a subsequent vend cycle, the coupling member 41 instead of the coupling member would be allowed to connect to the common operating member 21 to thereby lift the lifter plate 31 instead of the lifter plate 32 thus securing the release of the lowermost article in the left hand stack of the corded stack column 13. In other words each time that the solenoid such as solenoid 70 or 71 is operated for a vend cycle the associated coupling plate such as coupling plates 41 and 42 for solenoid 70 or coupling plates 43 and 44 for solenoid 71 will alternately exchange positions to secure the alternate operation of the support and release rods under the lowermost article in the corded stack of articles.

It should now be apparent that when merchandise is desired to be vended from the left hand column 13 the solenoid '70 must be energized at the beginning of the vending operation to move the selection control member 51 to the right of the drawings. Should merchandise be desired from the column 14 however then solenoid 71 should be operated to move the associated selection control member 52 to the right from the normal position shown by FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings. Nothwithstanding which of the control members 51, 52 has been moved to the right, the single return member 60 of the invention is effective to return the operated one of the control members 51 and 52 back to the normal position during vending operation in time to return to supporting relation beneath the lowermost one of the respective pins 41a, 42a, 43a, 44a of the respective alternator coupling plates 41-44.

Various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

I. A vending machine comprising a magazine structure having a plurality of vertical storage columns and dispensing mechanisms arranged in side-by-side positions, a plurality of respective control members arranged in aligned positions across the width of the dispensing mechanisms and each adapted to be moved from a normal position selectively in one direction along the path of alignment to an operated position to control the operation of a respective dispensing mechanism at the beginning of a vending cycle, individual selecting means to move a single control member in the one direction at the beginning of a vend cycle to enable the operation of a respective dispensing mechanism, and a single return means to move any previously moved control member in the opposite direction back to the normal position before the end of a vend cycle.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which there is provided a common operating means for said dispensing mechanism and any one of said control members when moved is effective to cause the respective connection of a selected dispensing mechanism to said common operating means for operation thereby during a vend cycle.

3. The invention of claim 2 in which the individual selecting means is operated by individually energized solenoids connected thereto and the single means is mechanically connected to said common operating means to be operated in response to movement of said common operating means during a vend cycle.

4. The invention of claim 1 in which individually energized solenoids are connected to operate individual ones of said individual selecting means.

5. The invention of claim 1 in which the individual selecting means is mechanically connected to individual solenoids to be selectively energized at the beginning of a vend cycle, resilient means interconnecting said magazine structure and each of said control members to normally urge each of said control members to the normal position, means to mechanically operate said single means during a vend cycle, and resilient means interconnecting said magazine structure and said single means to normally urge said single means to move any previously moved control member in the opposite direction in addition to the mechanical operating means therefor.

6. The invention of claim 2 in which the individual selecting means is mechanically connected to individual solenoids to be selectively energized at the beginning of a vend cycle, resilient means interconnecting said magazine structure and each of said control members to normally urge each of said control members to the normal position, means to mechanically operate said single means during a vend cycle, and resilient means interconnecting said magazine structure and said single means to normally urge said single means to move any previously moved control member in the opposite direction in addition to the mechanical operating means therefor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner. 

